This Lonely Town
by Yellow At Heart
Summary: Chad/Sonny. "Stranger in this lonely town, save me from my emptiness." R&R?
1. When It Rains

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sonny With A Chance.  
Author's Note: My name is Deenah, and I now present to you the first chapter in my first SWAC fic. I hope you enjoy it. R&R, anybody? :)  
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"_We would like to thank you for flying with EuroAir, we have arrived in London, so I will now ask you to remove on your seatbelt and remove your carry-on items from where you placed them. We wish you a nice stay in the UK, and hope you will choose us for your international flights in and outside Europe. Good day to you."_

It was a cold, wet, gray day. Not the kind of day you would like to kick-off your new life you were starting today. But for Sonny Munroe, this was just the type of day she wanted to start off with. It was nothing like warm, dry, sunny California. There was no scorching white sun outside; it was different. And different was just what Sonny needed. It had been five years since the So Random! series finale, and Sonny was ready to end her comedy/acting life. After So Random!, Sonny had gone to being a recurring role on a drama, playing the lead character's niece with a drug problem. She had enjoyed the part, it was a challenge and a bit of a breakthrough for her, but she felt that she did not want to spend the rest of her life acting. So after filming her character's last episode, she enrolled in college and majored in journalism. She was now a whole different person than she was when she left So Random! five years before. She was a twenty-three year old journalist in a new country with a whole other future awaiting her. All she had to do was search for it.

She picked her purse up from the floor and got up from her seat. She got caught in the traffic that forms up when too many people are trying to leave a place at once through a tiny exit. She used the opportunity to fix her coat, and smooth out her hair. It had been a long ride, and was sure that she had bags under her eyes, due to her sleepless night. She sighed and put on her oversized sunglasses, even though the sun was nowhere to be seen. She had always hated when stars did that, but now that she had done her first transcontinental flight, she understood why.

She walked out through the narrow passageway and walked out towards the terminal. She was completely disoriented when it came to time change, so after she picked up her luggage from the rotation wheel, and sat down to deliberate.

Let's see, it was 10:00 AM, on a Saturday morning. She had not slept since Thursday night. If she left Los Angeles at 4:00 PM, it would be 2:00 AM, over there, because it LA time was eight hours behind London time. Ugh, that wasn't making any sense. She had always hated time zone differences, and jet lag wasn't really helping her case. She didn't have enough energy to look up her land lady and pick up the key for the flat she had bought. What Sonny needed was to catch up on her sleep. Luckily, Tawni, whom she was friendly and still kept in touch with, had given her an envelope that read: OPEN IN CASE OF JET LAG EMERGENCY, and then in smaller letters: WHICH YOU'LL PROBABLY NEED, I'M 100% SURE OF IT. Sonny ripped it open and took out a small note, written in Tawni's signature pink calligraphy.

_**Dear Sonny,**_

_**Welcome to your new life! Now, as I am positive that you will suffer severe jet lag, I have made a reservation for you at the Novotel London West Hotel. It's about eight miles from Heathrow airport, so you can just get a cab or something. It wasn't cheap, so I expect you to stay there.**_

_**Hugs!**_

_**Tawni**_

_**PS: Just so you know, there's a Starbucks in terminal four.**_

Ah, thank God. She'd just get a cab and leave, sleep for a day, wake up on Sunday and move into her flat. This was too good to be true, and that worried Sonny_. _

_Moves aren't supposed to run smoothly,_ she pondered. She shrugged the thought away, it was just her bad jet lag that was making her act pessimistic. Sonny made her way to the Starbucks, all drowsy.

She was in a hurry for her caffeine that she nearly knocked down a young man on her way.

"I'm so sorry," she gushed out, turning around, terribly embarrassed.

"No, no. It's okay," the guy told her and he walked away rapidly.

-&-

After she had her white chocolate mocca, hopped on a cab, and arrived at the Novotel, she made her way to the check-in counter.

"Welcome to the Novotel London West, my name is Lily. How may I serve you today?" the attendant asked her in her thick, British accent.

"I'm Allison Munroe. I have a reservation, and I would like to check in."

"Delighted to help, Miss Munroe," Lily, the attendant, smiled, and her fingertips started to fly across the keyboard on her desk.

"Munroe, Allison. Munroe, Allison," the attendant murmured. "I'm sorry, but there is no reservation under Allison Munroe."

"Umm, could you try Sonny Munroe, then. It's spelled S-O-N-N-Y, not S-U-N-N-Y."

"Alright, then. Suhnny Munroe it is," she said, placing a heavy accent on the "suh". She scanned the screen while Sonny tapped her fingers on the counter.

"No Suhnny Munroe, either," the attendant looked at her with a pitying face. "Maybe a different name?"

"Tawni Hart. She was the one who did the reservation for me," Sonny was desperate now, panicking.

"Tawni Hart. Tawni Hart. Tawni Hart. There we go! Tawni Hart. Let me check the reservation." The attendand clicked on the name, and immediately a worried expression appeared on her face. "I'm sorry, Miss Munroe. The reservation was made for yesterday, not today, and has been cancelled. I'm terribly sorry."

"Oh, no. This can't be. Can't I make another one?" Sonny cried. She had told Tawni she would arrive at ten, and Tawni probably believed she meant PM, not AM.

"I'm sorry, we're out of rooms today. Perhaps, you could try a different hotel."

"Yeah, I think I'll do that. Thank you for your time." Sonny picked up her luggage and walked out of the hotel. As if things couldn't get worse, it had started to pour. She walked for about a block, until she found another Starbucks and walked towards it. Once again, she almost ran over someone.

She couldn't believe it. The guy was wearing the exact same clothes as the guy she almost ran over in the airport. She apologized and looked down, completely mortified. She was still apologizing, not daring to look at him, when he lifted her chin and stared right into her.

"Sonny?" he asked.


	2. Back to the Start

**Disclaimer: I do not own SWAC, or the song "Knock 'Em Out".  
A/N: Here you go guys! R&R?**

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The heavy, pounding rain and large shades obstructed her vision, but it did not stop her from feeling as if a sharp, intense cold had touched her skin. She hadn't felt that touch in over seven years, yet it felt the same. It still felt wrong, still out of place.

It was James.

"Sonny? Is that you?" James asked, a crease forming in his forehead.

This could not be happening. This was not happening. She had left America for a new start, a clean slate. And it had not been two hours into her new life when something from her past comes to tug her back, refusing to let go. She had to think of something, and something fast.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Sonny said in a fake British accent. "What kind of name is Sonny? Are you trying to mess with my head?""Oh, no, no, ma'am. Not at all. Do you mind if I accompany you to where you're going?" James scratched his much prominent stubble. Sonny had always been disgusted by facial hair, ever since the "Weird Beard" incident, and that did not help James's case at all. He now sported a very messy look, he was scruffy, looked a tad bit like a Robert Pattinson when he was starting out. Some might find it sexy; Sonny found it unattractive.

"Actually, I do mind," she continued with the fake accent. "Now, if _you _don't mind, I have a train to catch," she said as she gestured towards her luggage.

"Yeah? Can I have your digits?" he cocked an eyebrow, hopeful for an answer. As soon as Sonny heard this, she had an idea.

"No, not in a million years. You're nasty. Please leave me alone." Sonny quoted one of her favorite singers. She prayed that James had never heard of Lily Allen.

"Come on, why not?"

"Because I've lost my phone." Sonny started to have fun with this, seeing the perplexed look in his eye, and chased more lyrics out of her head. "Oh yeah, actually, I'm pregnant, having a baby in like 6 months so no, yeah, yeah…"

James stood there like a complete idiot. Not knowing what to do next, Sonny set off for the corner of the street and turned. The rain had gradually turned into a drizzle, making it easier for Sonny to see in her shades. Luck was on her side, sure enough, there was a Holiday Inn right in front of her. The familiar logo glinted against the reflective walls and comforted Sonny immediately.

She walked in, dripping wet, and walked over to the counter. This hotel was full of empty rooms, the attendant informed her, and she asked for a room, sliding over her debit card. The smiling attendant took the card and slid it through the machine. An ominous look washed away the attendant's smile and an unfriendly honk announced the decline of her card. She handed over a second. Declined. A third. Declined, it turned out to be a Starbucks gift card. Finally, she gave up and thanked the girl for her time.

She only had thirty pounds in cash money. She had told her mom to deposit the money into her bank account. But Sonny knew her mom was forgetful, and most likely forgot all about depositing money into her daughter's account. Depressed, anxious, and tired, Sonny sat on her suitcase that she had placed on the sidewalk, and did something she had not done in the longest time. She burst out sobbing and covered her face with both hands.

Sonny did not know how long she cried. The rain had stopped and a yellowish tint started to appear in the thick, gray clouds. She placed the sunglasses on her head and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Ebony smears appeared in lines across her hand, looking like scratches that were done across a sheet of paper with a black pen that had spontaneously started working after many attempts to make it function.

She sighed heavily and dug inside her coat pocket to see if her compact mirror was in there. She felt the familiar circular shape and brought it out. Sonny opened it and stared into her own reflection. She looked older, and not in a good way. Her eyes were empty and shallow. There was no depth to them. Her hair was unkempt, with flyaway strands awakening from their sleep after the rain had ceased. She did not look like Sonny Munroe, the actress and comedian. She looked like an adult. An adult with a stressful job, with a stressful life. This was the person Sonny had strived to be. Hard to believe as it may be, but Sonny had always thought that this would make her happy. As she sat on the sidewalk, reflecting over life, she realized how wrong she was. She was a stranger, even to herself. She was Allison Munroe, the adult, not Sonny Munroe, the bubbly teen on So Random!.

Sonny decided she was not going to achieve anything sitting on the streets of London, bawling her eyes out, so she put her shades back on and got up to fetch a cab. A small black car approached her and she got in. She removed her coat and showed the driver a small piece of paper. He nodded and sped off. The sides of the streets blurred into a never ending sight. It felt as if the rest of the world was moving, and Sonny remained where she was. At last, they arrived at a large, brick red building with white trim along the windows. Putting on her coat, she paid the driver and got off and entered the building.

Inside in was warm and dry. She followed the sign that said "Leasing Office" and entered a small office space. A teenage boy, no older than sixteen, sat at a desk, obviously in some unpleasant summer job, and he looked up.

"Hello, my name is Adam. How may I help you?" he asked in a bored, monotone voice.

"Yes. I'm here to see Annie Roth. I'm Allison Munroe, I'm supposed to move in tomorrow, but I guess I got a little ahead." Sonny pressed her lips together and formed a tight smile.

"Oh, yeah. She's up there right now getting everything ready. Go up there and knock. She should be finishing up by now." He pointed outside the office towards a stairwell.

"Thanks, Adam," Sonny said brightly, giving him a warm smile. She was not going to have a horrible night. She was not going to be homeless for a day in a city full of James-like people.

She stepped outside the office and made her way up the stairwell. She reached the third floor and knocked on number 22A. A tall, thin woman opened the door.

"Are you Allison? I wasn't expecting you 'till tomorrow. Thank God that I brought everything in early, eh?"

Sonny guessed that she was Annie Roth. She had a pleasant demeanor, smiling non-stop as she let Sonny in, handing her two keys.

"These are your keys, and I'll send the paperwork with Adam later on in the day," Annie said, patting Sonny on the shoulder.

"I wouldn't have finished so early if I hadn't had help. Two of your new neighbors decided to lend me a hand," she craned her neck around. "Oh, look! Here they come. Allison, meet Leia, she lives across from you, and… Where is he? There he is. Allison, meet Dylan. He lives in the floor above."

Sonny looked up from exploring her new flat to see her new neighbors. When she turned, she saw a familiar sight.

Chad Dylan Cooper was standing right before her.

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**A/N: Thank you so much for all of your amazing reviews! They really do mean a lot, so thanks a mil! I'm glad this fic generated such a positive response, so I will try my best to make it amazing. This is actually the third draft of this chapter. After seeing Sunday's episode, I felt I had to include James. At first it was going to be Nico whom Sonny found and he would take her to Chad's place, but that didn't work out for the plot. Then, it was going to be Chad, but it felt too, I don't know, perfect? Then "With a Chance of Dating" came on, and James was the perfect fit. If I could I would give a big hug to xxHeadInTheStarsxx, CelticMeggy, Stemi4ever123, klcthenerd, CrouchingCrookshanks, lover143, nav6201, star2894, sailor alpha tomboy, canadianphsyco, freaky-callback-girl, Mia Kyra Callwel, shadow-of-the-xmen, DiceRox09, freakishlyenergetic, lemoncherrylove, tay-tay1204, Veraway, thethingshesaid, Strata's Stargazer, Blue Scrubs, and anybody that I forgot. Thanks for adding to your favorites, for putting it on Story Alert, or just reviewing! **

**Much love, Deenah!**

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	3. The Way We Talk

**I am so sorry for the two month hiatus. I originally intended to update on May 14, the date of my last AP test, but then I realized I had finals, and I was faliling Chemistry... and yeah. I have no excuse. But I beg for your forgiveness. Without further ado, chapter tres.**

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Sonny brought a hand up to her eyes and let out a groan. Everything was spinning, and even the slightest of movements pained her head. Her brain felt swollen, her eyes unfocused, and she just felt like crap.

"Umm… Allison? Are you okay?" a scared voice asked.

Sonny groaned for a second time, now opening her eyes. She squinted to block her eyes from the light and said, "What happened? Where am I?"

"Oh, right. Well, I'm Leia," a girl gesturing to herself. "I live across the hall, in the flat in front. You apparently fainted, and scared us all half to death. Even Dylan was scared. I've never seen him like that… Anyways, are you feeling alright?" said Leia. She was a short girl with dirty blonde hair, who looked about the same age as Adam-the-secretary. She was staring at Sonny with big, startled eyes that expressed concern. Next to her was another girl, about Sonny's age, who wasn't in the room before.

"What? I fainted? Sweet baby Jesus." the two stared at her oddly. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just really tired and have the worst case of jetlag ever. It's nice to meet you Leia," Sonny responded, offering her hand to both girls. The other girl shook it first, and Leia followed.

"I'm Bex, Leia's sister. We need to go tell the others that you're okay. Dylan went to go get an AED and Annie is looking for a first aid kit."

"Please tell them I'm okay. That I'm just jetlagged and need rest."

"Sure thing," Leia said brightly. "It was nice meeting you, Allison." And without another word, they walked out the door and closed it quietly. Sonny got up from the floor (with blood pounding in her head), and walked over to her bedroom and plopped on the bed. Thank God she had arranged for the furniture to already be installed before moving in.

What a day. First, her hotel reservation had screwed up. After that, she had met up with James the Man Whore. Then, her credit cards had all been declined. To top it all off, she spent about an hour bawling her eyes out on the street. At last, she had arrived at her new home, and after meeting her new neighbors… BAM! She faints.

Her new neighbors… Her new neighbors… Why was that bothering her? Suddenly, she remembered and the image came back to her head.

She had seen Chad Dylan Cooper in her sitting room. She had seen Chad Dylan Cooper in her sitting room. She had seen Chad Dylan Cooper in her sitting room.

It couldn't be. Not at all. Of course not. Who was she kidding? Chad in London? What were the odds? Sonny finally convinced herself that she was probably just delirious. Ha. Chad being her neighbor? As if.

_But his name was Dylan. Chad Dylan, maybe?, _said a small voice in her head. _Nah._

After dismissing that fairly ridiculous idea, she decided to explore her flat. A month before the move she had called Annie Roth, whom Tawni had recommended, to hire her for her moving necessities. Tawni had explained that Annie owned a flat complex and specialized in interior design, you just said the magic words and she completely transformed the plain, empty flat into something livable, furniture and all, for a reasonable price of course.

_So far, so great_, Sonny thought. The place was lovely. Annie had made the small studio-sized flat into just what Sonny needed. It felt like she had won one of those home makeovers on some reality show. It was amazing, like if girly retro had mixed with modern chic. Sonny moved about her new home, heading for the kitchen, when the doorbell rang. She went towards the door and opened it slowly, it was probably Adam-the-secretary with the paperwork.

She opened it and a tall, blonde guy appeared. He had high cheekbones and sparkly blue eyes. It was a guy she had not seen in person in five years. His name was Chad Dylan Cooper.

"Hello, Sonny," he said quietly.

Sonny's eyes started to swell with tears and she covered her mouth with her hand. Slowly, a tear escaped the prison that her eyes had become. She gasped and wiped her eyes with her palm.

"I'm sorry. Ummm, come in." Chad walked in carefully, and Sonny shut the door.

"So, Sonny… What a surprise," he smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't expect you to be here. I've had a really rough day, can we just save it for later?"

"I think this can't wait, Sonny. How about we go out to eat?" Chad looked up, awaiting her response.

Sonny absentmindedly touched her stomach. She was hungry, and they definitely did need to talk, but was today the right time? As if answering her mental question, her stomach growled.

"All right. At what time?"

"Well, we could go right now, but I'm guessing you'd like to freshen up a bit. You look a mess…" Chad sympathized. "…No offence," he added in a hurry.

Sonny smiled, "None taken."

"So, does six sound okay?"

"Six sounds perfect." Chad smiled and walked towards the door, but Sonny stopped him. "Where are we going? I wanna know how much money to take."

"We're going to a world famous international restaurant. Don't take any money, I'm taking you. Plus, it's not that expensive, so you can order whatever you want. A little welcome present from your best friend Chad."

Sonny laughed dryly as Chad closed the door behind him. As idea of what she had just agreed to sunk into her head, the more confused she got. She had just agreed to have dinner with a guy who five years ago had… she couldn't even bring herself to think of it. He seemed so different, this time both of his eyes were sparkly… Wait, she hadn't been staring at his eyes, she hadn't thought of him at all. Or so she thought.

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**Yay! They finally met! It was about time, huh? Once again, I am VERY sorry for not updating. But on the bright side, I am nearly finished with the outline for this story, and once I am fully organized, I will try to update WEEKLY.**

**Much love, Deenah:)**


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